Tool handle



P 1930. L; A. M CONNELL v TOOL HANDLE Filed Sept. 1, 1928 ZesterflJVf donned INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES LESTER A. MCCONNELL, F SARBEN, NEBRASKA TOOL HANDLE Application filed September 1, 1928.

This invention relates to means for connecting a tool with its handle, the general object of the invention being to provide means whereby the handle is firmly connected with a tool so that there is no danger of the tool becoming loose from the handle or turning therein, and also to make the connecting means in such a manner that there is no danger of the parts breaking or separating when 7 subject to great strain.

Another object of the invention is to so form the connecting means that the handle can be easily and quickly detached fromthe tool and attached thereto so that if either the handle or tool should be broken, a new part can be easily and quickly substituted for the broken part and a short handle can be substituted for a long handle or vice versa in the minimum amount of time and with the least possible effort.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had't-o the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or 3. corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the invention used to connect a handle with a fork.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the shank of the tool. s

Figure 3 is a view showing the ferrule .connected with the handle.

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view through Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig ure 1. V

Figure 7' is a view showing-the inventio usedwith a hoe.

In these views, the numeral 1 indicates the shank of the tool which is shown as a fork in Figure 1, and as a hoe in Figure 7,

4 9 it being, of course, understood that the in- Serial No. 303,482.

vention can be used with any kind of a tool or implement which is provided with a handle part and a tool part. The shank is formed with a reduced part 2 which is but half the thickness of the main part of the shank and if? this part is formed with a fiat face which is provided with a threaded hole 8. The outer or upper end of this part 2 is beveled, as shown at 4, and this part is also formed with a semi-cylindrical extension 5, the side edges .57 of which project beyond the plane of the flat face ofthe part 2 and the end portions which are connected with the part 2 are slightly beveled, as shown at 6. A long rib or tongue 7 extends from the beveled face 4 along the bottom or central portion of the part 5 and pro jects beyond the free end of said part 5, this projecting part being slightly reduced, as shown in Figures 2 and l, with a space between itself and a small part of the end portion of the part- 5, as shown in these figures.

The tongue or rib 7 may be formed with or connected to the part 5.

The ferrule 8 is formed with a semi-circular extremity 9 having a flat face which contacts the flat face of the part 2 and adj acent the said flat face of the part 9, the ferrule is formed with a beveled face 10 which contacts the beveled face 4 and a part of the ferrule is reduced, as shown at 11, to fit within the extension 5, the edges 12 formed by the reduced part receiving the extended edges of the part 5, as shown in Figures 1 and 7, so that these parts act as a lock to prevent longitudinal movement of the ferrule on the shank. The ferrule is also formed with a groove 13 at the center of its reduced part for receiving the rib or tongue 7 of the shank, said groove extending under a small part of the reduced portion so as to form a lip 14 which extends into the space between the tongue and the part 5 and said groove also extends under the unreduced part of the ferrule and forms a socket for the projecting end of the tongue. The upper part of the ferrule is of as forked construction, though it may be made of cylindrical form, if desired, and this part of the ferrule is of greater interior diameter than the lower part so as to form the internal annular shoulder 15. The handle 16 has its end part fitting within the ferrule and said handle is formed with a groove 17 to receive the grooved part of the ferrule and the extremity of said handle is slightly reduced to form a shoulder which engages the shoulder 15. The upper end of the ferrule is connected with the handle by screws, such as shown at 18, or a bolt may be used to, connect the ferrule with the handle. A bolt 19 passes through a hole 20 formed in the reduced extremity 9 of the ferrule and into a hole 3 to fasten the ferrule to the shank, or the bolt can be passed through hole 3 into hole 20.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by placing the projecting end of the tongue or rib 7 into the socket formed by the upper end of the groove in the ferrule and then pressing the parts together so that the front face of the extremity 9 of the ferrule will engage the flat face of the part 2 of the shank, the ferrule is locked to the shank by the extending sides of the extension 5 engaging the edges 12 formed by the reduced part- 11 and by the beveled ends 6 engaging the beveled ends 6 of the edges 12. Then the bolt 9 is put in place in the holes 3 and 20, which willfirmly connect the ferrule to the shank. The ferrule is screwed or bolted to the handle after the handle has been shoved into the ferrule. Thus the parts are detachably connected together so that they can be easily separated, whereby a new handle or tool can be substituted for a broken one or a short handle substituted for a long one and vice versa. The joint between the handle and tool is of such construction that the tool is firmly connected with the handle so that there is no danger of the parts becoming separated or loose and there is no danger of the tool turning on the handle.

When the invention is used with a hoe or the like, as shown in Figure 7, the position of the parts is reversed to that of a lifting tool, such as a fork.

It is thought from the foregoing descrip tion that the advantages and novel features of the invention'will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes maybe made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims. i

that I claim is 1. In combination with a tool and its handle, a shank on the tool having a semi-tubular part, a rib associated with said part, a ferrule connected with the handle having a reduced part fitting in the semi-tubular part, and the ferrule having a combined groove and socket therein receiving the rib and means for detachably fastening the ferrule to the shank.

2. In. combination with a tool and its han dle, a shank on the tool having a semi-tubular part, a ferrule connected with the handle havmg a reduced part fitting in the semi-tubular part, means for detachably fastening the ferrule to the shank, a rib associated with the semitubular part and the ferrule having a part, a tongue connected with the beveled end andextending along the central portion of the extension with its extremity projecting beyond the end of the extension, a ferrule having a reduced extremity formed with a flat face for engaging the flat faceof' the duced part of the shank with a part of-the extension reduced in diameter to form a space to receive the semi-circular extension on the shank, the'end of the reduced part being beveled. to engage the beveled part on the shank and said reduced part being grooved to receive the tongue, the groove extending under a part of the ferrule to form a socket for receiving the extended end of the tongue, a handle fitting in the ferrule and having a groove therein to receive the grooved part of the ferrule and detachable means for fas tening the ferrule to the shank and the handle to the ferrule. V p r 4. In combination with a tool and its handle, a shank onthe tool having a reduced part formed with a flatfacc and a beveled end, asemi-circular extension on said reduced part, a tongue connected with'the beveled end and extending alongthe central portion of the extension with its extremity projecting beyond the end ofthe extension, a ferrule" having a'reduced extremity formed with a fiat face for engaging the flat face of the reduced part of the shank with a part of the extension reduced in diameter to form a space to receive thesemi-circular extension on the shank, the end of the reduced part being beveled to engage the beveled part on the shank and said reduced part being grooved to receive the tongue, the groove extending under a part of the ferrule toform" a socket for receivin'gthe extended end of the tongue, a handle fitting in the ferrule vand having a groove therein to receive the grooved part of the ferrule, detachable means'for fastening the'ferrule to the shank, detachable means for fastening the handle to the ferrule, said groove in the ferrule extending under theupper end of the reduced part on the ferruleto form a .lip and the tongue being spaced from the end of the gemi-circular part, such space receiving the 1p. I i

5. In combination with a tool and its handle, a shank on the tool having a reduced ris . part formed with a flat face and a beveled end, a semi-circular extension on said reduced part, a tongue connected with the beveled end and extending along the central portion of the extension with its extremity projecting beyond the end of the extension, a ferrule having a reduced extremity formed with a flat face for engaging the flat face of the reduced part of the shank with a part of the extension reduced in diameter to form a space to receive the semi-circular extension on the shank, the end of the reduced part being beveled to engage the beveled part on the shank and said reduced part being grooved to receive the tongue, the groove extending under a part of the ferrule to form Lil a socket for receiving the extended end of the tongue, a handle fitting in the ferrule and having a groove therein to receive the grooved part of the ferrule, detachable means for fastening theferrule to the shank, detachable means for fastening the handle to the ferrule,said groove in the ferrule extending under the upper end of the reduced part on the ferrule to form a lip and the tongue being spaced from the end of the semi-circular part, such space receiving the lip and the side edges of the semi-circular part projecting beyond the plane of the flat face of the reduced part of the shank with the space formed by the reduced part of the ferrule having its side walls extending beyond the plane of the flat face of the reduced extremity of the ferrule to receive said edges .of the semi-circular part.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LESTER A. MOCONNELL. 

